Great Kurultáj
The Great Kurultáj or briefly Kurultáj is a traditional event of peoples of Central Asian steppe nomadic origins, which takes place at least every two years in Bugac, Hungary. The aim of this event is to strengthen the unity of the steppe-nomadic horse culture and traditions between Hungarians and their cultural relatives, Eastern peoples. The first Kurultaj was held in the Torgai region of Kazakhstan in 2007. The first Kurultaj in Hungary was held in 2008. These events contributed much to the revival of the Altaic self-awareness.[1]
Kurultaj is a widely attended event for professional horsemen and fans of horse riding. Each Kurultaj holds the parade of horsemen, horse races, traditional horsemen wrestling, and various tournaments. Only Hungary, among European nations, has preserved the traditional kokpar game, a strategic team sport for riders.[2]
Name
The word ”kurultaj” and its variations in the Turkic languages translates as “meeting of the tribes”. It occurs amongst tribal nations and practically in all the nomadic cultures. Hungarian nomadic tribes also held these meetings, a fact that is mentioned in Byzantine and Arab written sources. At such meetings, important decisions were made, in particular, the leaders of the tribes would meet often to discuss military decisions and strategies.[3]
Events
The Kurultaj of 2013 took place from August 9 to 11.[4]
The Kurultaj of 2014 took place at Bugac in the Southern Great Plain region in Hungary.[5]
The events of 2015 were organized by the Hungarian Turan Foundation with contributions from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and named the year's event Ancestors Day. Representatives from the governments of Hungary and Turkey joined the festivities as well.[6]
Gallery
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Atilla, emperor of the Hun Empire
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Flags of turan nations - Kurultáj, 2014.08.09.JPG
Flags of Turan nations
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Flag of Székely Land
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Kurultáj - Magyar Törzsi Gyűlés, Bugac, 2014.08.09 (19).JPG
Hungarian horseman at Kurultáj
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Kurultáj - Vágta, 2014.08.09 (1).JPG
Hungarian horsemen at Kurultáj
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Kazakh kokpar wide.jpeg
Traditional Kazakh game of Kokpar, fighting over a goat carcass at the Kazakh Altai Eagle Festival in Sagsai, Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia.
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See also
References
- ↑ Interview with Imre Laslotsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to Kazakhstan: "Exploring own Origins", by Daniyar Kassymov. In: International popular scientific historical magazine "Mangilik El: in the stream of History", registered in the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Certificate No.13768-Zh. Page 13. 02.08.2013.
- ↑ KURULTAJ – tribal assembly of the Hun – Turkic nations, celebration of the preservation of the ancient traditions
- ↑ Official website of Kurultáj - "Information: History of Kurultaj"
- ↑ Kurultaj Festival delves into Hungarian history in Kyiv Post on August 12, 2013
- ↑ KURULTAJ – Nomadic Culture and Tribal Traditions in Daily News Hungary on August 14, 2014
- ↑ Turkey, Hungary jointly commemorate Atilla the Hun
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